Target Pulls Tiny Kid’s Carts After Shoppers Call Them ‘Torture’

“Hey, you know what would be fun? A tiny cart for my lunatic preschooler to push through Target filling with random items of his choosing,” said no mom, ever. But that’s exactly what was offered to the teeniest customers at a smattering of Target stores across the country. An innovation some corporate higher up has undoubtedly come to regret.

In a major case of, “A Parent Did Not Think Of This,” someone decided it would be fun to provide guests with kid-sized carts their little ones could wheel around while mom or dad made the weekly Target run. Apparently, whoever dreamed this up doesn’t have children. Or possibly, has never even met a real, live kid. Because holy shit, what a horrible idea.

Laura Rinas, the mom behind the blog Laughing Without Limits, points out the ridiculousness of giving kids this brand of power when all you’re trying to do is buy tampons and La Croix without losing your mind. She calls her movement to end these miniature rolling nightmares MASTC: Moms Against Stupid Tiny Carts.

She describes the mini carts as “vehicles of mass destruction” saying, “This tiny, red thing, with wheels and a really cute flag that makes it look innocent but it’s actually there (admit it) to warn everyone close that whatever is at the bottom of that flag is bringing DANGER AND PAIN AND STRIFE and that they should run in the opposite direction.”

Sounds about right.

The carts were introduced in a total of 72 stores, including 20 in my state. Thankfully, they weren’t at my Target, because, no fucking thank you. Shopper Lizzy Charles shared on Facebook, “They make shopping trips into torture! Especially with three kids, all wanting their own tiny cart, triple the headache. Or fighting over one! I abandoned purchasing anything and focused on survival.”

Did your eye just twitch? Good lord. Nightmare.

Indeed, The Star Tribune reports that customers were complaining of bruised legs from kids running the carts into them, increased congestion in aisles and meltdowns from kids when their parents didn’t want to buy all the dumb shit they’d put in their torture trolleys.

Did Target really not foresee this? Because any parent could have told them all of that and saved a bunch of time and money.

Of course, not everyone hated the demon carts from hell and thought they made shopping easier by keeping kids busy. Apparently, these people haven’t met my kids who would definitely somehow cruise their way down the condom aisle while I’m trying to pick out toothpaste and pick up a box of Magnums, a few Plan B pills and some scented lube. Because that’s how my life usually goes.

Luckily for haters like me, Target made the decision to put the kibosh on kiddie carts. Target spokeswoman Kristy Welker told Business Insider, “At Target, our guests are at the center of everything we do, and we value their feedback. We briefly tested kiddie carts at 72 Target stores, and after reviewing guest and stores feedback, we have made the decision to stop the test.”

And to that we say, thank god. Target is our refuge. Our sanctuary. Let’s keep it that way.